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Joint Media Release

INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN WESTERN NSW BENEFIT FROM THE SIGNING OF SHARED RESPONSIBILITY AGREEMENTS

December 14 2004 MIN 1026/04

Indigenous leaders from the Western New South Wales region of Murdi Paaki have signed shared responsibility agreements with Australian, State and Local Government representatives that commit all partners to supporting specific community and regional initiatives.

“These agreements are ground breaking,” said the Australian Government Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr Nelson. “They change the relationship between governments and Indigenous communities, so that their needs and priorities shape government action, rather than governments imposing solutions.

“They set out, in clear language, the ways that the parties to the agreement will work together and share responsibility for improving social, health and educational standards for indigenous communities. Everyone has a role to play in making the arrangement work.

“Resources are targeted where they are most needed, in the way they are needed. It’s better for Indigenous people because they have the opportunity to take responsibility and work directly with governments to implement community priorities.”

Agreements with the Bourke Indigenous community working party (CWP) signal the start of two important community projects:

• an Indigenous community night patrol will work with ‘at risk’ people on the streets of Bourke. Transport will be provided to a safe, non-threatening environment to reduce the risk of these people becoming involved in anti-social behaviour; and

• more flexible approaches will be examined in using education resources to re-engage Indigenous students and improve attendance, retention and educational attainment of young people in the Bourke area.

“This agreement highlights the importance of government agencies and the community working together locally to solve local problems,” Dr Refshauge said.

“The facts are that despite the good intentions of teachers and significant resources that have been put into Aboriginal education, we are still getting poor results.

“This is unacceptable – we cannot continue to fail our Indigenous students. Innovative projects like the one in Bourke are a positive step to turn this around.”

“Indigenous youth disengagement is a problem all over Australia. An agreement signed with the Ngemba (Brewarrina) CWP involves a project to identify the factors contributing to this disengagement and school non attendance. Strategies designed to combat these issues and re-engage Indigenous young people in education and training will be developed and implemented,” said Sam Jeffries, Chair of the Murdi Paaki Regional Council.

“Indigenous young people’s needs and aspirations are not being met adequately by existing education offerings – this vital project will help identify strategies that really work, and will do it in partnership with the community.

“The original Regional Agreement, signed on 22 August 2003, has been further strengthened. This is a strong indication of the governments’ commitment to this important process.

“The Regional Agreement provides certainty of employment for the CWPs’ administrative trainees, plus provides computer hardware and software for the 16 CWPs, so that the voluntary community governance bodies can undertake their roles more effectively.

“Strong, vibrant community governance is one of the keys to Indigenous people taking more control of their lives. We are working hard here in the region, in a productive partnership with government, to support that development, and go one step further, to a new model of regional representation. We know this can work, but it will only work if everyone plays their part,” concluded Mr Jeffries.


Media Contacts:

Mr Jeffries’ office: 0428 235 590
Dr Brendan Nelson’s office: 0414 927 663
Dr Andrew Refshauge’s office: 0408 604 827



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Background notes

• In November 2002, COAG agreed to implement trials in up to ten sites across Australia. Governments and Indigenous people would work in partnership to implement strategies aimed at overcoming the massive disadvantages faced by Indigenous people, and to better coordinate their efforts at Indigenous service delivery through Whole of Government approaches.

• On 22 August 2003, the Australian Government and New South Wales Governments and the Murdi Paaki Regional Council signed a regional shared responsibility agreement. This committed all parties to work in partnership to improve children’s and young people’s health; improve educational attainment and retention; assist families to raise healthy children; and strengthen community and regional governance structures.
  

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